


Friends will be friends

by just_a_crying_potato



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Crying, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Joe, I Don't Even Know, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, Inspired by Real Events, Jealous Joe, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sick Character, Slow Burn, confused Ben
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-11-16 01:46:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18085052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_crying_potato/pseuds/just_a_crying_potato
Summary: The press tour is over. Ben and Joe are lonely and miss each other so they decide to spend there time together————Joe is openly gay and everyone knows it





	1. Chapter 1

Ben wakes up from the painful loud sound of someone smashing the hotel door. He groans and rubs his eyes feeling a burning ache in his temples. Alcohol still is a poison for the human body but lets be honest if your friend wins an Oscar you’re allowed to drink a bit too much. A familiar humming sounds through the thin walls.

Ben gets up and slowly strolls towards the door. As soon as he opens it he sees a happy Joe taking his jacket and shoes off and with bag of buns. His hair is slightly wet from the sampling rain outside.

“Mate, you must be sick to get up this early”

Ben says with a raspy voice while guiding himself into the bathroom to get aspirin for his hangover. As he gets back he sees Joe looking at him with a pitiful smile.

“You must be sick to get up at-“ he looks at his clock and scoffs “- 12 am. When did you come back?”

His temporary roommate just gives him a little wave while taking a curious look at the bag that Joe brought. Ben sticks his nose into the bag and breaths the scent of fresh bread. Joe takes a look at his friend. He looks extremely exhausted from last night and all the hard work he has done in the past few months. The blonds short hair stands out in all directions and his worn out shirt is slightly slipping down his shoulder.

“Ben, why don’t you get ready and I take care of the breakfast. Gwil and Rami are coming over to eat so look alive”

Ben gives him a silent ‘ ~~~~ _thanks_ ’ and takes of into the bathroom. He closes the door and gets rid of his clothes.

The hot water hits his face and he slowly closes his eyes enjoying the warmth. When he felt himself dosing of he turns the water as cold as possible. The old habit causing his body to tremble. As soon as he can’t take the cold anymore he steps out of the shower and puts on a pair of jeans and a cozy hoodie. He feels the headache slowly fade and thanks whoever invented aspirin.

Caught in his thoughts he walks out of the bathroom and goes with his hand trough his still wet hair. As he looks up he can see a perfect set table. Joe stands at the stove with his back to Ben making tea.

“You really took your time preparing a beautiful breakfast Joseph”

A mocking smile travels over Bens face. Joe turns around and leans against the kitchen table. He looks at his friend with an played angry face. While handing him a cup of tea.

“How often do I have to tell you that you not my mother nor my teacher”

Ben just giggles and sits down on one of the four chairs around the little desk. Suddenly he hears a loud knocking. Joe walks to the door and opens it. Gwil and Rami walk in with bright smiles and ready to start the day.

They leave there suitcases at the door and look marvelling at the beautiful set table. Ben sips his tea and starts to talk in a moderating tone.

“Here comes the best actor in the world, that is probably way to chuffed to be around such normal people”  
  
Rami chuckles and takes a deep bow and the other three boys start clapping before everyone expect Joe sits down and takes a bun. Joe makes coffee for Rami and himself and tea for Gwil. They thank him and Joe sits down next to Ben and starts the conversation.

“I have a hard bed and now my neck is tens”

He makes a pouted look which earns a little giggle from Ben.

“Anyway how did you two sleep?”

“Gwil snores”

The named man tries to defend himself but Rami gives him a cocky smile that stopes the pleas. They talk about the still unbelievable experience from yesterday and the good times they had on set. Everyone is happy that it’s over but it was an unforgettable experience and they enjoyed every second of it. Shortly after everybody finishes there hearty breakfast Ben starts clearing the table. A pleasant silence spreads in the room. Gwil is the one to break it.

“Sorry to rush but I have to get going to catch my flight, but thanks for the lovely breakfast”

He gets up and Rami imitates the action. Ben and him are going home after such a long time living in hotels.

“Should I drive you to the airport?”

Joe offers.

“Thanks but Rami is already driving us because it’s on his way”

The four friends gather in front of the door and bid farewell.

“I’ll be right down. Just gonna finish packing”

The two boys take there suitcases and go down to check out. Joe closes the door and looks glum at Ben.

“I’m going to miss us all together”

“Me too”

Joe sits down at the kitchen and tries to massage his tens neck. His face twitches when he presses down onto the tense spot. Ben goes up behind him and removes Joe’s hand with a tender touch. He places his palm softly onto Joe’s neck and starts massaging the neck tension with circular movements. Joe groans quit and relaxes under Ben’s touch. After a while Ben pets the older man’s shoulder to show him that he finished.

“Thanks that was really helpful”

“No problem mate. But I think I have to get going”

“Alright”

Ben walks to the bedroom and packs his clothes into his suitcase. Afterwards he enters the bathroom to brush his teeth next to Joe.

Soon he is ready to go and Ben opens the door. Joe looks at Ben with a sorrowful look. The blond turns around and grins slightly.

“See you soon Joseph”

Joe pulls a wry face. All of the sudden Ben spreads his arms.

“Come here”

The ginger rushes into a tight hug. Ben has to take a few steps back due to the strength of Joe’s hug. He giggles and encloses Joe’s body.

“I’m going to miss you Benny”

Joe speaks in a whisper. Ben caress his back.

“I’m going to miss you too buddy”

The two boys step apart. Joe takes a deep breath.

“Oh just go before I get too emotional”

Ben nobs with a smile on his lips and walks towards the elevator. As the doors open Ben goes in. He checks out of the hotel and heads towards the parking where Rami’s car stands. It’s still drizzling causing his clothes to get slightly damp. Ben puts the suitcases into the boot and gets in the backseat.

A melancholy atmosphere spreads among the friends. Ben takes out his phone to text his mother the details of the flight. He can’t wait to see Frankie again.

As they arrive at the airport they say goodbye to Rami and check in. They both take there suitcases into the airplane and get right to there seats. They don’t talk much and both appreciate the calmness. Soon the plane takes of and Ben slowly feels his eyelids get heavier so he decides to sleep.

By the time the plane was landing Gwil’s light touch wakes Ben up. He had slept trough the entire flight and still feels weak and exhausted. They both get out of the plane and exit the airport.

“My car is at the parking so I guess it’s a goodbye”

The taller man says.

“Yeah, I guess. I’m going to visit you soon so don’t think you can get rid of me so easily”

They share a silly chuckle and a short hug before Gwil heads up to the parking. Ben softly sighs. The sudden silence hitting him with the realisation that everyone is gone. He really is going to miss his friends.

Suddenly Ben hears a familiar voice. He turns around to see his mother waving at him and calling his name from inside her car. The blond walks up to the car and puts his suitcase into the boot. Afterwards he gets in besides her. They great one another with a cumbersome hug and start talking about all the existing events. She tells him that she left Frankie at his flat and Ben can’t stop himself from smiling at the thought that he would see Frankie soon. He was happy to see her after such a long time away from home.

She starts the car an drive to Ben’s apartment. When they arrive they stay in the car for a while talking and gossiping about family friends. Ben promises her to visit her and gets out of the car to get his stuff out of the boot and clumsily gets his keys out of his pocket. He rushes to the door and opens it with a powerful swing. Frankie runs up to him and snuggles into his leg. Ben leaves his stuff next to the door and kneels down to pet her.

“You can’t imagine how much I missed you. Have you been a good girl?”

He chuckles and picks her up while closing the door.

“You know I made the best friends ever. Well sometimes there a real pain in the arse but I already miss them”

Ben kisses her soft forehead and enters the bedroom and sets Frankie onto his bed. She starts to crawl underneath the blanket. Ben continues to talk to her while taking of his jeans and his hoodie.

“One of them won an Oscar. His name is Rami and to be honest he really deserves it. Can you imagine to win an Oscar? It must be an amazing feeling”

As soon as he was only in his boxers he crawls into his bed. He fully relaxes and fells how tired he actually still is. His eyes get heavy for the second time today. The last thing he notices, before drifting into a deep sleep, is how Frankie settles herself next to him and snuggles against his chest. It was nice to be back home.


	2. Chapter 2

The next two weeks were uneventful for Ben. He visited his parents and left Frankie with them because he didn’t go out much and felt guilty for not giving her the movement that she needed. Ben even visited Gwil because his was losing his shit in the stifling silence of his flat.

It’s a sunny day and Ben rolls out of his bed. He hits his head at the nightstand. His voice raspy he speaks the first words on this beautiful morning. 

“Bloody hell. Every day the same shit”

While standing up he palpates the aching spot. This one is going to leave a mark. Holding his cold hand against the bruised spot, he goes into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. The hot liquid purring into the boring white cup with quite splattering. With the now steaming cup he walks towards the window in his living room. 

Ben looks out and blinks a few times to adjust to the sudden light. His view fuzzy he opens the window and a chilly breeze fills the little apartment. Unable to move he stays in front of the open space. His neck titillating as goosebumps spread all over his body. 

The vibration of his phone breaks his tranche. He sees his phone on the table besides him and the lightning screen catches Ben’s attention. His now warm hands take the phone and he unlocks it. It is a message from Joe. 

Joe  
Really missing you over here. I was wondering if I could come and visit you for a while.

Ben smiles reading the message.

Ben  
Sure you’re always welcome and you can stay as long as you want. I would really enjoy spending some time with my favourite crackhead :)

Joe  
I fell honoured. If I find a good connection I’ll send it to you 

A tingling sensation rushes through Ben while he starts getting exited. It was nice to see that someone cared for him. He never had many friends and getting affection from someone warmes his heart even though it is just a visit.

He takes a sip from his now lukewarm tea. It bothers him that the heath escaped so he empties the cup in one large gulp. His face turns into a grimace as the liquid travels down his throat. The blond closes the window feeling the cold slowly entering his body. Afterwards he goes to the dishwasher and places his cup into it.

Ben gets lost in his thoughts walking into his bathroom. Thinking that he should really start to take care of his body again and start to get into a healthier routine. Because if Joe sees his like this, without shaving for the last weeks and with his flat full of stuff, he will surly worry and Ben doesn’t want that. 

He takes a quick shower and shaves his overgrown beard. Naked he runs into his bedroom because he always panics thinking that one of his neighbours could see him. 

Halfway clothed his phone vibrates. It’s Joe again this time with a linked information for the flight he had picked out. He opens the link and it shows him that Joe is going to arrive Wednesday in the early eve. That was in two days including today. Smiling he texts his friend. 

Ben  
I’m gonna pick you up at the airport. Text me if you haven’t had dinner and I can order some pizza while picking you up

Joe  
Thanks sounds good :)

He puts on the rest of his clothes and exits his house again for what feels like a year. With a slow pace he makes his way to barber to get a proper haircut. Afterwards he passes by a nearby store to get all the things he needs and Joe’s favourite tea to welcome him into his home. 

As he arrives home he happily places the groceries at the places they belonged. Ben goes into his bedroom where he left his phone to check it. He has 7 missed calls and many messages from his mother. Slightly puzzled he calls her. 

“Hey mum. Everything alright?”

He can hear heavy breathing trough the phone and starts to worry. His mother replies in a rushed voice. 

“Yeah...Well not really. Do you remember that Frankie got fever two days ago? Well it wasn’t getting any better and we took here to the clinic. The doctors found out that she is really sick and has to get an surgery”

Ben can feel his body tense up in worry and panic. With a shaky voice he replies. 

“Is she going to be okay and when is the surgery?”

“It seems to be a risky surgery but if nothing goes wrong she should be fine and it’s going to be tomorrow noon”

“So can I see her before?”

“Sure just come to the clinic tomorrow around 3 p.m and you can see here before she goes in”

“Thanks mum. See you tomorrow”

Ben hangs up and looks around his room feeling lost. He has to clean up. Nothing to worry about Frankie is going to be just fine. That’s the thing he repeats over and over in a airy whisper while cleaning his flat. 

The time passed faster then he expected. When he finished it was already afternoon and he is extremely exhausted. Ben lets his body drop on the couch and exhales loudly. He is in the mood for fresh food but is way to tired to cook. In conclusion he gets himself ready to sleep and enters the welcoming warmth of his bed.

———————

The next morning Ben wakes up from a dreamless sleep. He is about to turn around and fall asleep again when his eyes catch the clock. It is 2:15 p.m. Why the hell did he sleep so long, he never slept so long in his hole life. 

Jumping out of his bed he rushes towards his closet. He gets clothed in an unbelievable speed and runs out of his flat packing his keys and phone in an sloppy movement into his pocket. 

As he enters his car he starts it way to fast and he can here the tyres making an ugly squeaking sound. Luckily he knows the way to the clinic from earlier visits. 

He enters the clinic at 3:20 p.m and immediately sees his mother with Frankie on her lab. Ben rushes over to her and kneels down to pet her. Out of breath he greets his mother and turns his attention to the young dog starting to talk to her in a high pitched voice. 

“Hi Frankie. Who’s my good girl”

Ben smiles at her as she weakly barks. He strokes her ears and gives her a quick kiss on the forehead. A doctor walks in and tells them that it’s time. Ben gives Frankie a hopeful smile looking into her sparkling brown eyes before the doctor takes her into the operation room. Ben’s mother looks at him in worry. 

“She is going to be okay Ben. She’s young and strong and you know how stubborn she when she wants to do something”

He smiles sadly at her and gives her a nob. A quick look at his watch shows him that Joe’s flight is going to land in three hours. 

“I’m sorry but I have to go. I’m having a friend over and I still have to prepare some things. Please keep me updated on Frankie”

“I will. Have a good time and get some rest”

She gives him a quick hug and Ben gets out of the clinic and heads towards his car. As soon as he is inside he takes a few deep breaths. Feeling a bit calmer he starts the car and heads home. 

Arriving at his flat he hears his belly rumble from hunger. After eating leftovers he prepares the guest room for Joe. He checks if there are any news from Frankie. So far everything seems to go well. Relieved he goes into the bathroom to take a shower before picking Joe up. 

Having showered he gets clothed and takes a look in the mirror. He looks knackered. His reflection gives him a small smile while he combs his damp hair. Taking a look at time he exits his flat for the second time today. 

Ben arrives at the airport 20 min before the planed landing of Joe’s plane. To waste the waiting time he goes in one of the shops near the arrival area. He looks around not really interested and trying to contain his worries and excitement. The vibration of his phone snaps him back to reality. 

Joe  
We’re landing ^^

Ben smiles and heads back to the arrival area. The blond puts his hands in his pockets and jumps in a small circle to fight the cold. He should have put a jacket on it was cold than expected. 

As Joe exits the flight and walks trow the gates he sees a bouncing Ben. He chuckles while walking towards his friend. 

“Ben stop being a bouncing creature and greet your beloved friends”

The blond stops jumping and looks up to see Joe with spreed arms and a big smile. He slightly blushes at the thought that Joe had seen him like that. With a grin he walks to his friend and gives him a tight hug. 

“Good to have you Joe”

Joe giggles at the emotional sentence and breaks the hug. He looks up at Ben and sees the little bump at his head. 

“What happened?”

“Oh- yeah”

He lightly touches the bruised spot. 

“I hit my head for three days in a row at my nightstand”

Joe bursts out in laughter. 

“Joe you’re such an idiot. It was really painful. If I were at your place I would be very worried” 

Ben says quietly laughing looking at Joe who is laughing in a unnatural high pitched laughter that was kinda adorable. 

“Yeah sure you would”

Joe wipes a tear away. Ben is starting to get really cold. 

“Laugh as much as you want I’m freezing and I’m hungry so let me take you home”

He nobs and giggles while going to the car next to Ben. The blond puts Joe’s suitcases in the boot and goes into the car. Joe is slowly calming down and leans back looking at his friend happily. 

“Did you eat anything on the flight?” 

Ben asks starting the car. 

“Nope. I’m pretty hungry”

“Does pizza sound good to you?”

The younger one glances at Joe while heading to his flat. 

“I would very much like a pizza”

Joe smiles back to him. 

“If that’s the case you can call the delivery place. The flyer is in the glove compartment. I will take a pizza Salami”

When they arrive home the pizza ist ordered and it starts to get dark. Ben carries Joe’s luggage up to his flat and they make themselves comfortable on the couch. They talk about Joe’s flight and the recent events as it rings on the door. 

“That must be the delivery guy”

Ben says and goes up to the door. As he opens it a young man with two pizza boxes greets him. He pays and goes back to the living room to place the food on the table. 

They start eating and talk about everything under the sun. Shortly after they finished there meal Ben’s phone starts vibrating.

“Sorry I have to take it. It’s my mum”

Ben stands up and goes to the window next to the table. 

“Hey mum. Any new on Frankie?”

Her voice is shaky. 

“She’s gone Ben. She didn’t wake up after the surgery. They say that she was just to weak. I’m so sorry. I hope you’re alri-“

Ben hangs up. His mouth begins to tremble infirmly, his Adam’s apple begins to rise and fall. Then his back writhes and he hugs his own body tightly as it starts shaking. He can barely hear Joe’s worried voice behind him. The older one comes towards him. The tears brimming over his lower lids now, his head shaking involuntarily as if in a useless effort to ward off the emotional storm. His chest clenching. A racking sob comes over Ben’s lips. Joe cups his face. 

“What’s wrong? Ben, what is it?”

The only answer is a broken sob. Joe pulls Ben in a tight hug holding him the best he can. The blond’s arms slowly travel to the back of his friend. He holds Joe’s back in a nearly painful way. Ben’s head buried in his shoulder. He is shuddering all over, his muscles jerking beneath the thin layer of fabric. 

“It’s gonna be alright buddy”

Joe caress Ben’s back in a calm matter. At last the sobs begin to change into words, most of them mumbled. 

“...Frankie. She’s go- she’s gone”

They slowly part. Ben calming down but still shivering. 

“Hey Ben. Ben look at me”

The addressed on locks eye contact with the man towards him. Joe slightly smiles an wipes Ben’s tears away with his thumb while stroking the back of his neck. 

“She’s in a better place now and you can’t change it. She was sick and now she can rest pain free”

“I guess so. Thanks”

Ben’s voice is still shaky but he forms a weak smile. His body is slowly calming down. 

“I’m so sorry Joe. Can we just watch a movie?” 

“Sure Ben”

Both change into something more comfortable and sit down on the couch to start a movie. 

“I want something scary”

Ben says in a childlike voice. 

“Don’t you hate scary movies?”

The blond just shrugs his shoulders. They find a film that appeals them both. As it starts Ben flinches more often than he would admit. He moves closer to Joe in hope of protection. Occasionally he hides his face in Joe’s side in fear. In a quiet tone he speaks to Joe. 

“I’m shit at watching this movies”

Joe just smiles and looks down to Ben to see him laying on his belly looking at the screen. Halfway through the movie Joe doesn’t feel any flinching anymore and looks down. Ben has his face on Joe’s upper arm and one hand holding his shirt in a firm way. 

He smiles. Ben’s hair is all over the place and from time to time he snuggles against Joe’s site. After the long flight he had and with the impact of Ben’s steady breathing Joe slowly falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright my dudes that was the second chapter. I hope you liked it and stick around :)
> 
> -L


End file.
